In response to an increase in positive COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations, Cook County Health and the state of Illinois are opening one-day mass vaccination booster clinics Sunday at three locations.
The clinics, in Arlington Heights, Blue Island and North Riverside, will all offer the Johnson & Johnson, Moderna and Pfizer boosters, as well as first and second doses to those who are eligible.
As the holiday season approaches and more people gather indoors, health officials are urging both vaccinations and booster shots, especially since Illinois has reported its first case of the omicron variant.
"Getting vaccinated against COVID-19 is the single best thing a person can to do protect their health and the health of those around them," Toni Preckwinkle, Cook County board president, said in a news release.
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All adults over 18-years-old are not only eligible for a booster shot, but are also strongly recommended to get one by the CDC as well as state and local health officials. Those who received the Moderna or Pfizer vaccines can get a booster shot 6 months after their second dose.
For Johnson & Johnson recipients, eligibility opens 2 months after receiving the single-dose vaccine.
On Thursday, several million 16- and 17-year-olds were given the green light to get the Pfizer booster shot as the Food and Drug Administration granted emergency authorization.
Teenagers in the aforementioned age group will be able to receive their boosters at Sunday's one-day clinic in Cook County, if their second dose was given at least 6 months earlier.
While adults can mix-and-match their initial doses and booster, 16- and 17-year-olds are only eligible for the Pfizer booster shot.
The one-day clinic will be open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and serve any Illinois resident - no appointment, insurance or identification required.
The clinic locations are listed below:
- Arlington Heights - 3250 N. Arlington Heights Rd., Suite 300
- Blue Island - 12757 S. Western Ave.
- North Riverside - 1800 S. Harlem Ave., Suite A
